After Copying Snapchat, Facebook Now Turns Attention To Tinder

Facebook might be testing a Tinder-like dating feature that allows users to indicate if they want to hang out with a fellow user, according to Motherboard. The social networking giant has confirmed that it is, in fact, testing a new Facebook feature to make it easier for users to connect.

New Facebook feature or a Tinder copy?

The new Facebook feature is available via Messenger and appears as a notification. A message on a Motherboard reporter’s Facebook page notified them that “[Name redacted] and 15 others may want to meet up with you this week.” Once a user clicks on the notification, it lands them on a screen which has similar functions to those of Tinder’s “Swipe right” menu, in which the user needs to swipe in either direction for “Yes” or “No Thanks.”

In a statement sent to Motherboard, Facebook said, “People often use Facebook to make plans with their friends. So, we’re running a very small test in the Facebook app to make that easier.”

It’s a bit odd that Facebook selected Messenger for the notification, given that users will have to visit the person’s profile on the main page to get all their information, notes TechCrunch.

The feature, which seems to be in Beta, is available on some Android and iOS devices in New Zealand and Canada. It is not clear what the final name of the feature will be at this point of time or even if it will be released to the masses at all.

In recent times, Facebook has revealed several new features that are clones of other social media apps, like Stories from Snapchat. Now it looks like it’s Tinder’s turn. The basic difference between Tinder and this new Facebook feature is that users get a notification about people who are already friends on Facebook.

Other new features in the works

In other Facebook news, Instagram is testing a new story sharing feature. According to Mashable, the new feature on Instagram will allow users to share a story on Instagram and Facebook at the same time. This will be an improvement over the current feature, in which stories have to be posted on Instagram and Facebook individually. As of now, it is not known if the feature will be released for the masses or whether it will be confined to beta testing alone.

In addition, Facebook is also testing colored comments on its website. According to The Next Web, a few users see an option to post colored messages. Just like these other features, this is also running in beta as of now.

Thanks to Facebook’s drive to come up with new features, many of its apps are the most popular among users. According to ComScore’s 2017 U.S. Mobile App Report, Facebook and Google own the top six most popular apps. The new report reveals the top 10 apps among mobile app users by penetration or reach in the United States .

“The two companies aren’t leaving much space for other publishers to get their apps in front of users,” the report said.

Facebook’s main app is at the top with 81% app audience penetration and 147 million monthly users on both smartphones and tablets.